For many aviation enthusiasts, military aircraft are fascinating in their own right. For a select group of spotters and photographers, however, the greatest thrillcomes from pursuing something even more unique: special paint schemes.

The base visit organised by Spottersgroup Leeuwarden (AGL) was unfortunately a disappointing experience from a photography perspective. Although the opportunity to visit the airbase was appreciated, the time allocated on the flight line was far too limited to make the most of the event.

The first two days at Leeuwarden Air Base have been highly successful and productive. The primary objective has been to photograph the participating aircraft.

My 2026 military aircraft spotting season has already been an incredible journey across several European airbases. The year started with unforgettable visits to places like Nörvenich Air Base, Eindhoven Air Base, and Gilze-Rijen Air Base, each offering its own unique atmosphere and impressive aircraft movements.

The road to Air Bilzen felt ordinary at first, flat fields, quiet houses, nothing to suggest what waited ahead. Even when I arrived, the place didn't announce itself loudly. It was a B&B, after all. Calm, welcoming, unassuming.

My second visit to the Traditiekamer Typhoon at Volkel Air Base felt different from the moment I stepped inside. The first time, I was overwhelmed—in the best possible way—by the sheer richness of the collection: decades of history carefully preserved in uniforms, patches, logbooks, photographs, scale models, and aircraft parts that once soared...

I visited Gilze-Rijen Air Base during the ongoing Exercise Autumn Wave 2025, hoping to catch some rotary-wing and possibly fixed-wing action tied to what was expected to be a NATO or multinational military drill. However, the day turned out to be largely uneventful from an aviation spotting perspective.

Every year in early to mid-September, Eindhoven Air Base becomes a hub of international airborne military activity. Exercise Falcon Leap is a large-scale training event organized by the Royal Netherlands Army's 11 Luchtmobiele Brigade (11th Airmobile Brigade), together with the Netherlands Air Force's Air Mobility Command, alongside...

"SNAP" stands for Significance of National Air Power. It is a Bundeswehr / Luftwaffe exercise held at Fliegerhorst Nörvenich and surroundings. The purpose is multifaceted:

Day 1: Flugausstellung Hermeskeil – A Walk Through Aviation History